If you – like many of us – dream of one day owning a Japanese hero car from the 1980s and 90s, you might be able to make it a reality sooner than you think.
One such car is the AE86 Toyota Corolla. Sold from 1983 to 1987, it’s been boosted to icon status with the help of its feature in the Japanese ‘Initial D’ anime and arcade game series, while being renowned for its light weight and seemingly endless modification opportunities.
As such, the AE86 has now become exceptionally rare – especially in its hatch/liftback body style with pop-up headlights.
That may have all changed though, as a Chinese company appears to be reproducing bare AE86 body shells and selling them online for a relative bargain price.
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Sold via Alibaba – a Chinese online marketplace where sellers of all shapes and sizes can list their products for global sale – Jiangsu Aodun Automobile Industry Company is listing full AE86 bodies for US$9500 (A$13,712) each, and they look like the real deal.
The only concern? Alibaba is primarily known for its catalogue cheap goods of questionable quality, and it’s yet to be seen whether this extends to the reborn Corolla.
Images from the listing reveal an entirely stripped-back bodyshell, covered in what appear to be a matrix of dots for 3D-scanning purposes, suggesting the company has gutted an actual Toyota AE86 and scanned it piece-by-piece, allowing for a near-perfect replication of the car.
Keep in mind you’ll have to bring your own interior, engine, wheels, and virtually everything else, which may be difficult if you’re looking to do a full restoration on such a rare car in 2024.
According to company database Made-in-China, Jiangsu Aodun Vehicle Industry Company is a “car stamping parts production base” and the “main supplier” of manufacturers like FAW-GM – a joint venture between General Motors and China’s second-largest manufacturer, FAW Group.
The same database states the brand stamps parts to suit various Audi, Volkswagen, Toyota, and Chery vehicles among others. It doesn’t stop there either, as it’s also selling full bodies of the 40 Series LandCruiser and Land Rover Defender 90.
A downside is the seller lists a minimum order quantity of five units, which means you’ll have to organise a group buy to get your hands on one. The seller sweetens the deal by offering a discount of US$8500 (A$12,269) each if you buy more than 15 at a time.
Restored AE86
Curiously, the body is available from at least two other Alibaba sellers with different names, ranging in minimum price from US$8000 (A$11,550) to US$9000 (A$12,994).
Maybe a red flag, but how else are you going to live out your tofu delivery fantasies?
In Australia, there are currently only two used examples listed for sale across various online classified sites, with the cheapest representative car starting at $55,000.
MORE: Toyota converts classic AE86 coupes to EV and hydrogen
MORE: Toyota Gazoo Racing reproducing AE86 parts
